Nippon no Arashi - Sakurai (Part 3 of 3)
And here's the last part of Sho-chan's trip!
Trying to make tea at the tea processing factory
The second day. Today they were finally going to follow the process of making a final product using the tea leaves that Sakurai had himself harvested at Kenichi’s Natural Plantation. However, upon leaving the hotel they headed not towards Kenichi’s Natural Plantation, but instead to the parking lot of the prefecturally run Tsukigase Kounoyama Natural Park, located in the neighboring village. They were meeting up with Kenichi-san there. That’s because, this was located right by the spiritual boulder Iwakura that Kenichi-san talked about yesterday. Kenichi-san was granting Sakurai’s wish to see with his own eyes the river of rocks arranged to imitate the Milky Way and the boulder that was placed as a religious symbol. It was located in Nabekura Valley, and with rocks and boulders large and small in an arrangement 650 meters long and 10 meters wide, it was an incredible sight.
As they climbed up and up the river of stones, they discovered a shrine off to the side. They went to see it and found a very mysterious boulder, called Ryuuouiwa (TN: the kanji literally means Dragon King Stone), had been enshrined there. Sakurai prayed before the Ryuuouiwa, turning his thoughts towards the “Yamato Heart” of the ancient peoples that Kenichi-san had talked about yesterday.
They left Nabekura Valley and finally arrived at the tea processing factory. This factory’s owner was the one that empathized with Kenichi-san’s passionate feelings and let him use this place as a favor, saying, “The machines too are happier if they get used.” Sakurai once again really felt how the happy meeting between Kenichi-san and the village people who welcomed him showed itself in another way through supporting the birth of a new Yamato tea like this.
And now it was time to start making tea! The first job was to roast/cook the tea leaves that Sakurai had harvested himself yesterday in a kettle. Incidentally, Kenichi-san told us this anecdote about this large kettle. Kenichi-san received a huge order for 1 ton of oolong tea from a Chinese restaurant owner. It was at a rough/slow time for him business-wise, so he replied, “I’ll do it,” which was all well and good, but he wouldn’t be able to make such a large amount just roasting it by hand in a small kettle, so he started looking for a large kettle machine like this one. But, these machines were used 50 years ago, and even Kenichi-san had only seen them in books. He started giving up, thinking he was never going to be able to get one nowadays, when he randomly found one carefully on display in a tea shop in Kyuushuu. When he explained the situation to the tea shop owner, he said, “In that case, do you want to take it?” and graciously offered to give him the machine. When his wife, asked him, “You’ve taken such good care of that kettle, are you sure?” he apparently answered, “I was struck by that young person’s passion. And the machine will be happier if it’s being used.”
Now, let’s return to the work. These tea leaves have less water content compared to young sprouts, so if they were roasted as is they would easily turn into powder. So to add some steam on purpose, while Kenichi-san was putting the tea leaves in the kettle, Sakurai was pouring water on top at nearly the same time. It was a group effort. They roasted it like that for 15 minutes. During that time, Sakurai tried doing some roasting by hand using the smaller kettle that Kenichi-san had been using in the beginning. The amount one can roast by hand is limited to 1 kg at a time. It was very easy to understand how utterly impossible it would have been to roast 1 ton of tea leaves with this kettle. Then they scooped out the tea leaves that had been roasting in the large kettle in the meantime, using an easy-to-use, aged fan, and put the leaves on a woven straw mat. Next they rolled the leaves by hand on the straw mat. Listening to Kenichi-san’s advice of, “Don’t scrape them against the mat, you more like roll them up into bunches on the mat,” Sakurai rolled the tea leaves like he was rolling up burs, putting his weight into it. By doing this, they can wring out the water from the stalks and stems, and if they keep rolling, can apparently also get some of the oils out as well. By getting out these oils, it seems to make the good flavor of the tea come out more when its put into the hot water. Kenichi-san looked over the leaves that were finished being rolled and said, “Yes, this looks good. It smells great too.” Next they lined up the rolled tea leaves in a wooden box, which had a net for the bottom. Then they placed the box into a dryer. Once these are dried, then the process is finally complete.
While waiting for the dryer, they went over to greet the elderly woman who runs this factory; she was working in the adjacent field. It seems she is the mother of the woman that originally told Kenichi-san to use the factory, but unfortunately she had already passed away. The elderly woman was very cute, and gave Sakurai several carrots that she got from the field.
They went back to the factory to check on the tea leaves. They looked nice and dry, and the spring tea was finally complete! And then, Kenichi-san brought over bags to put the tea into. In looking closer, there were specially made, hand-written labels on them! What a fashionable/refined addition. Sakurai packed the tea leaves himself, and it was finally, truly, done! They took pictures with the finished tea. It will be fun to drink it later.
It was just about lunchtime, and everyone was getting hungry, so they headed to Kenichi-san’s house. There they saw that Kenichi-san’s family once again had lunch ready for them. It was a special lunch, with fresh wild boar meat they had received from a neighbor that they then cooked over a charcoal brazier. And today there was even rice porridge cooked with the tea from Kenichi’s Natural Plantation! There were plenty of dishes using fresh vegetables there too. Today the meal was just as good as yesterday. It was a meal that made the mind and body happy. And then after eating, they finally tried drinking some of the spring tea they made today. They steeped it in a small Tokoname teapot that is Kenichi-san’s favorite, and they called the tea “Spring Tea Arashi.” First they had Kenichi-san take a sip. Kenichi-san closed his eyes for a bit savoring the taste, and then quietly said, “Yes, it’s delicious.” “Thank goodness! (lol)” said a relieved Sakurai (lol). Then Sakurai had a sip, “It’s good!” It had a refreshing and spring-like, youthful taste. Sakurai then poured tea for the staff as well.
And then at the end, Kenichi-san came out holding a guitar in one hand and surprised everyone with a song! They thanked Kenichi-san and his family for taking care of them the last 2 days, and left Nara. And then at the end of the trip, Sakurai stopped by one place that he wanted to go to.
Supporting the farms with its sales, the choice of a greengrocers
Before returning to Toyko, their last stop was a store called, “ONE DROP” located in Kyoto. It’s a greengrocers that sells not only Kenichi-san’s tea, but vegetables made by other farmers that use the natural farming method. Sakurai was able to thoroughly discuss what it’s like supporting the farms form the position of selling their products with the stores owners Kotani Wataru-san (27 years-old) and Ryouko-san (27 years-old).
Sakurai: How long have you guys been running the store?
Wataru: About 2 and a half years. We first started in a residential garage that we borrowed. If you include that time its about 4 years.
Sakurai: How old are you now?
Wataru: 27. I think we’re the same age. You were born in 1982, right?
Sakurai: We are the same age~. So 4 years ago you were 23? Why did you decide to become a greengrocer?
Wataru: I started a part time job at a greengrocer when I was a student and worked there for 3 years. If we backtrack a little more, in high school, I had some vague thoughts about what was going to happen to the world in the future. I love John Lennon and was influenced by him, thinking, “I also want to do something for the world.” But, I had no idea what I could do, and so lived a normal high school life. But then when I went to college I met all kinds of different people. Then I thought, rather than doing something big, could I instead change the world by changing my own lifestyle? Take the meals you eat everyday, those ingredients in fact come from all over the world, so just by paying more attention to what’s around you, the world becomes closer. Then I started thinking that since I eat 3 meals a day, just by paying closer attention to my food, it would lead me to be aware of the issues with poverty or the environment. So then I thought that first I would change my diet. That led to me learning how to cook myself, and then by extension I eventually started buying organic vegetables. Which somehow led me to start working there part time, and I learned about the flavors and charm of different vegetables. And while I was doing that, I came to think that the wish I had in high school of “wanting to do something for the world” perhaps meant for me, to become a greengrocer. I didn’t want to go out and farm vegetables myself like Ken-chan (Kenichi-san) does, I instead wanted to fulfill the role of supporting the people that worked hard to start farming.
Sakurai: And did you originally have interest in this too?
Ryouko: Yes. I felt similarly to him, and started shopping at the store he worked at, and I didn’t know many young people around me who thought like I did, so we hit it off, like we both realized there was someone else that shared the same thoughts.
Sakurai: When did you first become aware of these issues?
Ryouko: For me it was college. Actually I also love John Lennon (lol).
Sakurai: (lol)!
Ryouko: We got along partly because we had that in common, but I also had an interest in the starvation and conflict issues since high school, and was studying international relations in college. I had always wondered if there was something I could do for world peace, and went to do volunteer work in developing countries. But it somehow didn’t feel right, the stance of going there to “do something for” them felt off, felt wrong. When I started wondering why food shortages happen at all, I realized it maybe is because there’s a fundamental mistake in the agriculture distribution or food distribution systems of today, and that was one of the big reasons I got involved in this.
Sakurai: When you say the distribution systems, do you mean Japan’s?
Ryouko: The world’s. If you look at the world as a whole, there are some places that are being controlled by the countries with a lot of capital, or are almost being exploited. The economic supremacy takes over the food and other items of daily living. I want to live in a place that’s not like that.
Sakurai: What is the problem with the distribution systems of today?
Wataru: The system of deciding on prices is based solely on supply and demand. For instance, in seasons when spinach is scarce, its 200 yen for one bunch, but when it’s abundantly available and there is a surplus, it can be 30 yen or even 10 yen, that’s how different the prices can get. It might be a bit different for fruits, but for vegetables this is particularly true. For instance, with the spinach again, there’s a minimum cost that it takes to grow one bunch, right? If we say it costs a minimum of 50 yen to make, and the price we get is less than 50 yen, then all we do is lose money. But that side of it is completely ignored, and it could be 5 yen or 150 yen, it’s decided only by the supply and demand on the buyer’s side of things. Then the people that are making the food can’t go to their full potential, and no one wants to take over the farms to keep them going. But, at a market, they will take whatever you bring to sell. No matter how little they get for it. So then the farmers don’t have to look for buyers themselves and they can concentrate on making the products. It’s certainly a great system, but I think it’s not quite right that the prices are decided like they are.
Sakurai: How did you meet Kenichi-kun in the first place?
Wataru: He was originally a friend of Ryouko’s.
Sakurai: I see.
Ryouko: Actually our parent’s houses are nearby each other, and I had a lot of admiration for farming, so I noticed, “Oh, there’s someone my age doing it.”
Sakurai: Oh like, “There’s some amazing person here” (lol).
Ryouko: Yes (lol). Soon after I graduated from school, I went to visit and that’s how we met.
Sakurai: You both had the option of being able to directly engage with farming. But how did you decide to be on the selling side?
Wataru: When I was in college, I went to a sort of training course in farming when I first became interested in farming, and also went to help out some farmers as an assistant. But, I was never able to see myself being a farmer. I think it takes a lot of patience and tenacity to be a farmer, and I think it didn’t fit my personality. I also didn’t have enough physical stamina for it (lol).
Everyone: (lol)!
Ryouko: He is a city kid.
Wataru: Yes! I’m too much of a city kid.
Sakurai: You didn’t have many opportunities to be on a farm?
Wataru: Not at all. I was a city kid, the kind that only dreamed of playing in the oceans and rivers. I grew up so separated from all of that, that it was a bit impossible for me to all of a sudden go right into farming just like that. But I had those feelings of wanting to do something that only I can do since high school, and I thought it might be becoming a greengrocer, so that’s what I chose to do. Somehow I found myself fitting into this position of a greengrocers (lol).
Sakurai: Although it seems like there are gradually more and more young people going into farming like Kenichi-kun, if there isn’t the exit that a greengrocers provides, then the process of organic farming can’t be completed.
Ryouko: Yes, that’s true.
Wataru: When organic farming really started to take off about 30 years ago, it seems that it was the same thing then too. There were people that quit their business jobs to start farming, or switched over to organic farming, and they had a difficult time, some had to start out by selling things from a trailer they towed on their bicycles, but now they run a large company. There are adults out there who did that, so we also want to grow together with the people of our same generation that are farming, and make Japan’s agriculture even better. And, it’d be great if that helped Japan’s society as a whole become better too.
Sakurai: That’s a great goal.
Sakurai experienced the farming scene to the fullest for 2 days. He reflected on the trip in the car on the way back to Kyoto Station, to take a bullet train back to Tokyo.
“Today I noticed, like when we talked with the elderly woman while processing the tea, that whenever Kenichi-san talks about the fields, or the machines, or anything, he’s always mentioning that so-and-so gave him this, or so-and-so is doing him this favor. But then, he’d say that they passed away last year, or two years ago, and how do I say it… it feels like he has a lot on his shoulders. Like at times he would suddenly just get a really sad expression in his eyes. Shiomi-san also said that society moves so slow that it would depress him sometimes. As the elderly men and woman who know what the past was like continue to pass away, we don’t really have any time now, and I think that Kenichi-kun is the one that’s bridging that gap, that that’s his mission/task. For me, I had thought that only applied to the people who talk about their experiences during the war, but I see now that’s a sloppy/crude way to think about it, and I had to rethink it to see that it really applies to everyone. The wisdom and assets that the elderly have, all of that is slowly disappearing. Seeing that people like Kenichi-kun and Wataru-kun are there make me hopeful for the future, but at the same time, but I also felt that sense of an impending crisis. But, I’m glad that I was able to see and become aware of it. Though I really shouldn’t end it here just by saying that and not doing anything about it. Ah, but it did make me happy. Meeting Kenichi-kun and Wataru-kun. Knowing that there are people like them. To use the common phrase, “they’re nothing to sneeze at.” Also, the food. Really, all of it was so delicious~ (lol)”
And that's it~! We're almost at the end of the book now, just Nino's trip left to go and then a wrap-up group discussion. Thanks for coming by to read :D
Masterpost is here.
Trying to make tea at the tea processing factory
The second day. Today they were finally going to follow the process of making a final product using the tea leaves that Sakurai had himself harvested at Kenichi’s Natural Plantation. However, upon leaving the hotel they headed not towards Kenichi’s Natural Plantation, but instead to the parking lot of the prefecturally run Tsukigase Kounoyama Natural Park, located in the neighboring village. They were meeting up with Kenichi-san there. That’s because, this was located right by the spiritual boulder Iwakura that Kenichi-san talked about yesterday. Kenichi-san was granting Sakurai’s wish to see with his own eyes the river of rocks arranged to imitate the Milky Way and the boulder that was placed as a religious symbol. It was located in Nabekura Valley, and with rocks and boulders large and small in an arrangement 650 meters long and 10 meters wide, it was an incredible sight.
As they climbed up and up the river of stones, they discovered a shrine off to the side. They went to see it and found a very mysterious boulder, called Ryuuouiwa (TN: the kanji literally means Dragon King Stone), had been enshrined there. Sakurai prayed before the Ryuuouiwa, turning his thoughts towards the “Yamato Heart” of the ancient peoples that Kenichi-san had talked about yesterday.
They left Nabekura Valley and finally arrived at the tea processing factory. This factory’s owner was the one that empathized with Kenichi-san’s passionate feelings and let him use this place as a favor, saying, “The machines too are happier if they get used.” Sakurai once again really felt how the happy meeting between Kenichi-san and the village people who welcomed him showed itself in another way through supporting the birth of a new Yamato tea like this.
And now it was time to start making tea! The first job was to roast/cook the tea leaves that Sakurai had harvested himself yesterday in a kettle. Incidentally, Kenichi-san told us this anecdote about this large kettle. Kenichi-san received a huge order for 1 ton of oolong tea from a Chinese restaurant owner. It was at a rough/slow time for him business-wise, so he replied, “I’ll do it,” which was all well and good, but he wouldn’t be able to make such a large amount just roasting it by hand in a small kettle, so he started looking for a large kettle machine like this one. But, these machines were used 50 years ago, and even Kenichi-san had only seen them in books. He started giving up, thinking he was never going to be able to get one nowadays, when he randomly found one carefully on display in a tea shop in Kyuushuu. When he explained the situation to the tea shop owner, he said, “In that case, do you want to take it?” and graciously offered to give him the machine. When his wife, asked him, “You’ve taken such good care of that kettle, are you sure?” he apparently answered, “I was struck by that young person’s passion. And the machine will be happier if it’s being used.”
Now, let’s return to the work. These tea leaves have less water content compared to young sprouts, so if they were roasted as is they would easily turn into powder. So to add some steam on purpose, while Kenichi-san was putting the tea leaves in the kettle, Sakurai was pouring water on top at nearly the same time. It was a group effort. They roasted it like that for 15 minutes. During that time, Sakurai tried doing some roasting by hand using the smaller kettle that Kenichi-san had been using in the beginning. The amount one can roast by hand is limited to 1 kg at a time. It was very easy to understand how utterly impossible it would have been to roast 1 ton of tea leaves with this kettle. Then they scooped out the tea leaves that had been roasting in the large kettle in the meantime, using an easy-to-use, aged fan, and put the leaves on a woven straw mat. Next they rolled the leaves by hand on the straw mat. Listening to Kenichi-san’s advice of, “Don’t scrape them against the mat, you more like roll them up into bunches on the mat,” Sakurai rolled the tea leaves like he was rolling up burs, putting his weight into it. By doing this, they can wring out the water from the stalks and stems, and if they keep rolling, can apparently also get some of the oils out as well. By getting out these oils, it seems to make the good flavor of the tea come out more when its put into the hot water. Kenichi-san looked over the leaves that were finished being rolled and said, “Yes, this looks good. It smells great too.” Next they lined up the rolled tea leaves in a wooden box, which had a net for the bottom. Then they placed the box into a dryer. Once these are dried, then the process is finally complete.
While waiting for the dryer, they went over to greet the elderly woman who runs this factory; she was working in the adjacent field. It seems she is the mother of the woman that originally told Kenichi-san to use the factory, but unfortunately she had already passed away. The elderly woman was very cute, and gave Sakurai several carrots that she got from the field.
They went back to the factory to check on the tea leaves. They looked nice and dry, and the spring tea was finally complete! And then, Kenichi-san brought over bags to put the tea into. In looking closer, there were specially made, hand-written labels on them! What a fashionable/refined addition. Sakurai packed the tea leaves himself, and it was finally, truly, done! They took pictures with the finished tea. It will be fun to drink it later.
It was just about lunchtime, and everyone was getting hungry, so they headed to Kenichi-san’s house. There they saw that Kenichi-san’s family once again had lunch ready for them. It was a special lunch, with fresh wild boar meat they had received from a neighbor that they then cooked over a charcoal brazier. And today there was even rice porridge cooked with the tea from Kenichi’s Natural Plantation! There were plenty of dishes using fresh vegetables there too. Today the meal was just as good as yesterday. It was a meal that made the mind and body happy. And then after eating, they finally tried drinking some of the spring tea they made today. They steeped it in a small Tokoname teapot that is Kenichi-san’s favorite, and they called the tea “Spring Tea Arashi.” First they had Kenichi-san take a sip. Kenichi-san closed his eyes for a bit savoring the taste, and then quietly said, “Yes, it’s delicious.” “Thank goodness! (lol)” said a relieved Sakurai (lol). Then Sakurai had a sip, “It’s good!” It had a refreshing and spring-like, youthful taste. Sakurai then poured tea for the staff as well.
And then at the end, Kenichi-san came out holding a guitar in one hand and surprised everyone with a song! They thanked Kenichi-san and his family for taking care of them the last 2 days, and left Nara. And then at the end of the trip, Sakurai stopped by one place that he wanted to go to.
Supporting the farms with its sales, the choice of a greengrocers
Before returning to Toyko, their last stop was a store called, “ONE DROP” located in Kyoto. It’s a greengrocers that sells not only Kenichi-san’s tea, but vegetables made by other farmers that use the natural farming method. Sakurai was able to thoroughly discuss what it’s like supporting the farms form the position of selling their products with the stores owners Kotani Wataru-san (27 years-old) and Ryouko-san (27 years-old).
Sakurai: How long have you guys been running the store?
Wataru: About 2 and a half years. We first started in a residential garage that we borrowed. If you include that time its about 4 years.
Sakurai: How old are you now?
Wataru: 27. I think we’re the same age. You were born in 1982, right?
Sakurai: We are the same age~. So 4 years ago you were 23? Why did you decide to become a greengrocer?
Wataru: I started a part time job at a greengrocer when I was a student and worked there for 3 years. If we backtrack a little more, in high school, I had some vague thoughts about what was going to happen to the world in the future. I love John Lennon and was influenced by him, thinking, “I also want to do something for the world.” But, I had no idea what I could do, and so lived a normal high school life. But then when I went to college I met all kinds of different people. Then I thought, rather than doing something big, could I instead change the world by changing my own lifestyle? Take the meals you eat everyday, those ingredients in fact come from all over the world, so just by paying more attention to what’s around you, the world becomes closer. Then I started thinking that since I eat 3 meals a day, just by paying closer attention to my food, it would lead me to be aware of the issues with poverty or the environment. So then I thought that first I would change my diet. That led to me learning how to cook myself, and then by extension I eventually started buying organic vegetables. Which somehow led me to start working there part time, and I learned about the flavors and charm of different vegetables. And while I was doing that, I came to think that the wish I had in high school of “wanting to do something for the world” perhaps meant for me, to become a greengrocer. I didn’t want to go out and farm vegetables myself like Ken-chan (Kenichi-san) does, I instead wanted to fulfill the role of supporting the people that worked hard to start farming.
Sakurai: And did you originally have interest in this too?
Ryouko: Yes. I felt similarly to him, and started shopping at the store he worked at, and I didn’t know many young people around me who thought like I did, so we hit it off, like we both realized there was someone else that shared the same thoughts.
Sakurai: When did you first become aware of these issues?
Ryouko: For me it was college. Actually I also love John Lennon (lol).
Sakurai: (lol)!
Ryouko: We got along partly because we had that in common, but I also had an interest in the starvation and conflict issues since high school, and was studying international relations in college. I had always wondered if there was something I could do for world peace, and went to do volunteer work in developing countries. But it somehow didn’t feel right, the stance of going there to “do something for” them felt off, felt wrong. When I started wondering why food shortages happen at all, I realized it maybe is because there’s a fundamental mistake in the agriculture distribution or food distribution systems of today, and that was one of the big reasons I got involved in this.
Sakurai: When you say the distribution systems, do you mean Japan’s?
Ryouko: The world’s. If you look at the world as a whole, there are some places that are being controlled by the countries with a lot of capital, or are almost being exploited. The economic supremacy takes over the food and other items of daily living. I want to live in a place that’s not like that.
Sakurai: What is the problem with the distribution systems of today?
Wataru: The system of deciding on prices is based solely on supply and demand. For instance, in seasons when spinach is scarce, its 200 yen for one bunch, but when it’s abundantly available and there is a surplus, it can be 30 yen or even 10 yen, that’s how different the prices can get. It might be a bit different for fruits, but for vegetables this is particularly true. For instance, with the spinach again, there’s a minimum cost that it takes to grow one bunch, right? If we say it costs a minimum of 50 yen to make, and the price we get is less than 50 yen, then all we do is lose money. But that side of it is completely ignored, and it could be 5 yen or 150 yen, it’s decided only by the supply and demand on the buyer’s side of things. Then the people that are making the food can’t go to their full potential, and no one wants to take over the farms to keep them going. But, at a market, they will take whatever you bring to sell. No matter how little they get for it. So then the farmers don’t have to look for buyers themselves and they can concentrate on making the products. It’s certainly a great system, but I think it’s not quite right that the prices are decided like they are.
Sakurai: How did you meet Kenichi-kun in the first place?
Wataru: He was originally a friend of Ryouko’s.
Sakurai: I see.
Ryouko: Actually our parent’s houses are nearby each other, and I had a lot of admiration for farming, so I noticed, “Oh, there’s someone my age doing it.”
Sakurai: Oh like, “There’s some amazing person here” (lol).
Ryouko: Yes (lol). Soon after I graduated from school, I went to visit and that’s how we met.
Sakurai: You both had the option of being able to directly engage with farming. But how did you decide to be on the selling side?
Wataru: When I was in college, I went to a sort of training course in farming when I first became interested in farming, and also went to help out some farmers as an assistant. But, I was never able to see myself being a farmer. I think it takes a lot of patience and tenacity to be a farmer, and I think it didn’t fit my personality. I also didn’t have enough physical stamina for it (lol).
Everyone: (lol)!
Ryouko: He is a city kid.
Wataru: Yes! I’m too much of a city kid.
Sakurai: You didn’t have many opportunities to be on a farm?
Wataru: Not at all. I was a city kid, the kind that only dreamed of playing in the oceans and rivers. I grew up so separated from all of that, that it was a bit impossible for me to all of a sudden go right into farming just like that. But I had those feelings of wanting to do something that only I can do since high school, and I thought it might be becoming a greengrocer, so that’s what I chose to do. Somehow I found myself fitting into this position of a greengrocers (lol).
Sakurai: Although it seems like there are gradually more and more young people going into farming like Kenichi-kun, if there isn’t the exit that a greengrocers provides, then the process of organic farming can’t be completed.
Ryouko: Yes, that’s true.
Wataru: When organic farming really started to take off about 30 years ago, it seems that it was the same thing then too. There were people that quit their business jobs to start farming, or switched over to organic farming, and they had a difficult time, some had to start out by selling things from a trailer they towed on their bicycles, but now they run a large company. There are adults out there who did that, so we also want to grow together with the people of our same generation that are farming, and make Japan’s agriculture even better. And, it’d be great if that helped Japan’s society as a whole become better too.
Sakurai: That’s a great goal.
Sakurai experienced the farming scene to the fullest for 2 days. He reflected on the trip in the car on the way back to Kyoto Station, to take a bullet train back to Tokyo.
“Today I noticed, like when we talked with the elderly woman while processing the tea, that whenever Kenichi-san talks about the fields, or the machines, or anything, he’s always mentioning that so-and-so gave him this, or so-and-so is doing him this favor. But then, he’d say that they passed away last year, or two years ago, and how do I say it… it feels like he has a lot on his shoulders. Like at times he would suddenly just get a really sad expression in his eyes. Shiomi-san also said that society moves so slow that it would depress him sometimes. As the elderly men and woman who know what the past was like continue to pass away, we don’t really have any time now, and I think that Kenichi-kun is the one that’s bridging that gap, that that’s his mission/task. For me, I had thought that only applied to the people who talk about their experiences during the war, but I see now that’s a sloppy/crude way to think about it, and I had to rethink it to see that it really applies to everyone. The wisdom and assets that the elderly have, all of that is slowly disappearing. Seeing that people like Kenichi-kun and Wataru-kun are there make me hopeful for the future, but at the same time, but I also felt that sense of an impending crisis. But, I’m glad that I was able to see and become aware of it. Though I really shouldn’t end it here just by saying that and not doing anything about it. Ah, but it did make me happy. Meeting Kenichi-kun and Wataru-kun. Knowing that there are people like them. To use the common phrase, “they’re nothing to sneeze at.” Also, the food. Really, all of it was so delicious~ (lol)”
And that's it~! We're almost at the end of the book now, just Nino's trip left to go and then a wrap-up group discussion. Thanks for coming by to read :D
Masterpost is here.